I know that the fox is the darling of the urban conservationists but we seem to be overrun by them in Forest Hill. Despite their cuddly image they rip open bins, are a menace to unattended toddlers and screech all night. Is anyone else in favour of a cull?

The other night I witnessed a fox gang war taking place on Mayow Road. I was getting ready for bed and heard a commotion outside and when I looked out saw two groups of five foxes lined up facing each other and having a go at each other. A car would come along and the two groups would retire to opposite sides of the road until the car passed then face off again in the middle of the road. It was a bit surreal, looked like a territorial dispute.

And here's what one East Dulwich resident had to say, which was the most sensible posting on that thread, and saves me the trouble of pointing it out:

"Hunting was never about fox control - let's get that nonsense out of the way. Farmers do still shoot foxes just as they've always done.

The point about hedges and changing use of the countryside is a valid one but urban foxes are in towns for one reason only....because there is an easy and plentiful supply of food. No cull would more effective than getting businesses and residents to dump and bin their food prooperly. The ever growing rat population is also benefitting from the poor refuse situation."

Hunting has NEVER "mostly been about Fox Control", rather, an excuse to hunt

Keep your bins closed, do not feed (for their benefit AND yours) but even that will not stop hungry wild animals needing food.
It IS Nature.

They WILL raid bins. Nature of the beast (or rather, hungry animal) THIS IS NATURE!

Sue

Quote:

And here's what one East Dulwich resident had to say, which was the most sensible posting on that thread, and saves me the trouble of pointing it out:

"Hunting was never about fox control - let's get that nonsense out of the way. Farmers do still shoot foxes just as they've always done.

The point about hedges and changing use of the countryside is a valid one but urban foxes are in towns for one reason only....because there is an easy and plentiful supply of food. No cull would more effective than getting businesses and residents to dump and bin their food prooperly. The ever growing rat population is also benefitting from the poor refuse situation."

I am on Hurstbourne Road and the foxes around here are regularly fed on raw chicken by some kindly local - I think it maybe someone on Woolstone Road, from the direction I see the foxes coming from with their mouths stuffed!

I guess there are always going to be those who like foxes and those who don't - I am on the fence about it tbh - the noise and stinky 'deposits' do annoy me, and of course the ripped open bin bags (but I blame the people who leave rubbish on the street). I'm more bothered about rats and mice to be honest.

The other behavioural trait of the local foxes seems to be a bit of a shoe fetish. We regularly find chewed shoes deposited on our allotment. Mens, womens, they don't seem to have a preference. What puzzles me is where they are getting all these shoes from ... but if you've ever lost shoes off your back doorstep, it probably ended up in our potato patch.

The noise, mess etc can be annoying and whilst it would undoubtedly help if people (and businesses) disposed of their rubbish more responsibly, that wouldn't entirely solve the problem. For a start, there would still be the Council litter bins, like the one near the ambulance station on Davids Road, which is emptied by foxes almost every night.

On the other hand, a late-night encounter with Mr or Mrs Fox undoubtedly has its charms - and mice and rats (and pigeons?) probably present a greater health hazard.

Live and let live then? Well, yes - but I can't help wondering whether a partial cull is inevitable eventually, since the fox has no natural predator and we shall presumably reach a point where the fox population is just too big for their comfort, never mind ours.

I feel differently now that I have young children and after other incidents where children have been attacked in their cots. I dont think these are made up stories. I am also worried now about leaving our back doors open and even concerned about our older daughter being in the garden in her own in the evenings in case one comes into the garden. Foxes walk up and down our road all the time and don't seem worried about passing people on the pavement as they have little fear. The fox poo especially amongst grass is also a nightmare when you have young children as you don't always see it until its plastered all over their hair.

Whilst a cull might not be the answer I do think something needs to be done on the control front. Perhaps contraceptive injections or implants to reduce the population? Not sure if that would work but its surely an idea. They are very entertaining up to a point, but I'd rather have less of them around. However then we would probably have more rats. Difficult things, eco systems!

I find dog poo much worse than fox poo as far as the kids are concerned.

Firstly the fox poo really reeks, so you generally smell it before you step in it, and secondly it tends to be - ahem - 'firmer' and smaller than dog poo so doesn't make quite such a mess and is easier to clean up (unlike some of the dogs of Forest Hill who frankly seem to have some sort of dietary issues, and should be put in nappies).

Also the foxes around here seem to like leaving their calling cards in quite strange but noticeable places - like in the middle of the dustbin lid? On top of the shed roof? I think it must be some sort of territorial thing....

I hadn't thought about the whole foxes attaching children issue - I thought that was a very strange story personally. They are bold the foxes, but they've never come into our garden.

Rats and mice I find more worrying, as they carry diseases and once you get them in your house they are hard to get rid of.

Maybe if people stopped feeding the foxes, they would spend more time keeping down the vermin population.